Business school application is a lot like a date game.

First, you need to pick your “targets”, and you need to file an application!  Choices can be based on prestige, fit, academics, career prospective, and alumni network, etc. However, since you only have limited time and energy and each “first date” will cost you a lot, most people choose to date a few of them at a time. Here is a breakdown of your costs to get a first date.

1. $200 to 230 non-negotiable application fee
2. 4 to 6 essays, or love letters, to explain how much love you have for each school
3. 20 to 50 emails to remind your recommenders to stick to the deadlines of each school
4. Countless hours of sitting in front of your laptop and could not write even a single sentence
5. Typing your address, work experience, your parent’s profiles N times. N = the number of schools you apply.
6. Going through your essay x times trying to cut words and sometime letting go entire sentences just to make the word count of your essay from 525 to 495.
7. For some people, $150-200 per hour consulting fee paid to MBA admission consultants. Yes, they are expensive, and they are useful for people who don’t know how to dress up for their dates.
8. Travel expenses, including vacation hours used, for school visits

The total cost: excluding the opportunity costs for your time, which range from $10/hr to $100/hr, one can easily drop anywhere from $1,000 to $8,000 after-tax hard-earned cash for all of your applications.

Now you have all your packages ready to go, even though your recommenders always ignore your reminders and submit their letters exactly one day before the deadline. Congratulations, you have managed to go through this logistic nightmare! When you hit that “submit my application” button, your first date is over. All you can do now is to wait for her email.

Yes, your date doesn’t even bother talking to you before fully evaluating your profile. This is fair, because we are not exactly being loyal ourselves. Most of us cast a wide net and apply to many schools. We told every one of them that we love her the most. I really respect the small group of people who only date one school, but I dare not to, because I want to get married next year.

After more than one month after your application, if you are among the lucky ones, you will receive an invitation for a second date. This time, your date will finally talk to you!  Since she will see you in person this time, make sure you get yourself a designer suit and a nice haircut preferably not from “Super-Cut”. Most importantly, just like any relationship, you need to bring your passion. To me, passion at interviews comes from self-persuasion. Even if you are in love with Ms. A and not so much for Ms. B, you got to find a way to show your passion when Ms. B approaches.  

I encountered such problem myself. My second date with Ms. T was a disaster, because I wasn’t well prepared and pretty much faked my passion. Then there comes the unexpected letter from Ms. H, and I had about a month to really convince myself and find my passion for her. It was not too hard for me, because Ms. H has been my dream girl for a long time, and best of all, we live in the same city!  I read every line of every article about her, and studied previous dating experiences posted by other hopefuls. Just when I was fully immersed in my love for Ms. H, Ms. W sent me a letter asking me to go on a second date with her as well, and she also gave me a DEADLINE to schedule it! I had to set it just 3 days after my date with Ms. H. This was a problem. How could I turn 180 degrees and find the passion for a completely different lady within just 3 days? Right after my interview with H on Monday, I cleared everything about Ms. H out of my mind and watched a movie with my wife (oops!). For the rest of the three days, I thought about Ms. W and Ms. W only. In the end, I think I did a pretty good job at my second date with Ms. W.

Now I am so relieved that I watched a couple episodes of "Kitchen Nightmare". I really think I love them both and will marry either one of them if they like me back. Hey, wait a minute, I just heard rumor that Ms. S has started sending out her invitations to the guys. God, she is so lazy and crazy! But you know what, she is cute too. If she calls me tomorrow, I will have no choice but go through that same process once more. After all, I am still single!